Train splits hay truck in half in Moreland

by Wes Mayer

The tractor trailer, filled with hay, was cut in half by the train, and there were no injuries.

A train cut through a tractor-trailer rig stuck at an intersection in Moreland in south Coweta County on Tuesday, sending hay flying and sparking a dangerous materials threat.

The truck, carrying a load of hay, was stuck on the tracks facing the highway at the intersection of Dingler Road and U.S. Highway 29 in Moreland when a train rolled through the intersection and split the trailer in half. According to initial information from photographer Jeffrey Leo of The Newnan Times-Herald after speaking with officials at the scene, the driver of the truck had exited the cab prior to the accident, and there were no injuries.

The train, however, was pulling six or seven tanker cars containing a dangerous sodium hydroxide solution, so the Coweta County Fire Department’s hazardous materials truck was dispatched to the scene to check for possible leaks. Fortunately, no leaks were found, officials said.

For more on this story, look in Thursday’s print and digital edition of The Newnan Times-Herald.